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Further Information

Telephone Consultations

A doctor is available every day to speak to over the telephone. If you are suffering from sickness and/or diarrhoea, to prevent infection risks to other patients and staff please ring us for a telephone consultation.

Getting the Appointment You Want

A common nationwide complaint from patients about their GP surgery is difficulty in getting to see the doctor of their choice at a time and date to suit them. GP Patient Questionnaires highlight this as one of the most common patient misconceptions.

Ensuring enough appointment capacity to meet demand is very complex. Over the past 30 years at Whitnash Medical Centre we have tried every kind of system we can think of to meet patient demand. It is our aim to ensure patients that want to be seen by a GP or a nurse, even for non-urgent matters, can do so within 24 hours. Also we ensure that patients needing to be seen for an urgent matter (sometimes telephoning late in the day) can be seen the same day. We provide appointments for those patients who want to book for a few weeks in advance as well as slots for people who want a specific time or to see a specific GP. In 2013 we introduced online appointments which means patients can book in advance with a GP of their choice for a routine appointment over the internet.

The biggest challenge can be to find the right appointment for someone who wants a booking that meets all of those requests, at very short notice! To meet that sort of demand is often simply not possible and it can cause a lot of frustration. We understand the need for patients to want to see a GP of their choice, at a time and date to suit them. It is one of the reasons that we decided to commence 'extended hours clinics' (outside our normal hours) to suit busy working lives.

We want very much to be able to offer you appointments that suit your needs and have come up with a few tips to help you:

The more you want from us, the more notice you need to give us! If there is a GP you particularly like to see, and you know you are going to find it difficult to come and see us at certain times, then you need to book that appointment as soon as you can.

If your GP has asked you to make a follow-up appointment, come and book it with reception as you leave the consultation. Don't leave it until you get home as you might forget! The more notice you give us the more likely you are going to get the date and time you want with your preferred doctor.

If you have a problem and need to see a doctor, DON'T DELAY, RING TODAY! Don't keep putting if off. Remember most GP surgeries now offer appointments outside of normal surgery hours to people who work. You can always ring up and cancel it if you start to feel better.

Cancellations

If you cannot make an appointment or you start to feel better and no longer need it please contact us as soon as possible. We do need at least half an hour notice so we can offer the appointment to another patient. It is very frustrating, particularly when we are low on appointment capacity, if patients do not turn up for appointments. We do operate a strict monitoring system of non-attendances and letters will be sent to patients who do not turn up to appointments. If after receiving our letters, patients continue not to turn up for appointments without giving a valid explanation they risk being removed from our practice list for a breakdown in communication. It is very important that you advise us of your reasons why you have not turned up for appointments as this will be taken into account.

South Warwickshire GP+ Extended Access Service

Patients across South Warwickshire are to be offered evening and weekend appointments thanks to a new service, called GP+, being provided by the South Warwickshire GP Federation (SWGP).

From 3 September, patients in South Warwickshire will be able to book face-to-face or telephone appointments at two GP+ ‘hubs’ from 6-9pm on weekdays and 9am-1pm on weekends.

Routine and same day appointments will be offered with GPs, nurses and clinical pharmacists. In addition there will be same day appointments from 6-9pm on weekdays for children aged 0-16 who need treatment after school hours.

South Warwickshire GP+ will run initially from two centrally located and accessible hub locations, Trinity Court Surgery in Stratford-upon-Avon and Waterside Medical Centre in Leamington Spa. The hubs will be staffed by GPs and nurses from local GP practices, with some specialist roles recruited specifically for the new service.

GP+ clinicians will have access to patient records, so that the patient’s full medical history is known and records can be updated regardless of when or where patients are seen (subject to consent).

Appointments for the extended access service can be booked via the practice.

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:00.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.